The time between
by Demonic Angel DA
Summary: this story takes place between the games halo 2 and halo 3please R and R. this is my first submit so please any constructive critisism is apreciated
1. Chapter 1

The Time between

Disclaimer: I do not own the halo universe nor will I ever

notes: this is a possible story line for what happened to one of the marine corp detachments between halo2 and 3. characters will refer to each other by last name mostly so get used to that.  
For those of you already familiar with my work keep you're eyes peeled for my trademark character...Jack Jamison

"Shut up and keep firing !" yelled sergeant Joyce  
"There's to many of em sir" I replied as another wave of flood hit us

We hadn't left delta halo yet because the brutes were _still_ trying to fire it. Neither had the Elites nor the Flood and it was turning into a shit hole here. I think at about this point in the we were fighting the brutes and flood mostly but the elites had a cease fire going with us since we rescued there leader from a brute base. The brutes were fighting the Flood and Elites mostly but not really making much of an effort to us. And the Flood? Well the Flood were out to kill us all.

"More of em left side" yelled Shannly through the radio. Thomas Shannly was our current spotter, he called out the enemy as they approached and offered sniper support were possible.  
"Shit! I need some help out here!" yelled Todd as 4 Flood Brutes charged her at the same time  
Thomas replied with a few rounds into there legs to ground em and Todd finished em with her AR.  
"Got you covered babe"  
"Less chat more firing!" ordered Joyce  
we had been forced backwards into a cliff wall, and had formed a semi circle against it to cover all sides. But we had been fighting them for at least three hours and were starting to lose.  
"Dammit I'm dry! Someone toss me a clip" I yelled  
Sgt Joyce threw me one and nodded  
"Hey guy's their...leaving...i think we won!"  
there was a reply of cheers all throughout the squad.  
"All right, all right...settle down marines...that was some nice work out there, good shooting. Everyone accounted for?"  
we all looked around.  
"Where's Jamison?" Asked Jenny  
"Jamison?" he turned on his radio. "This is Joyce please respond...Jamison you out there?...dammit... Shannly can you see Jamison from you're position?" Srg Joyce was good guy he cared about the people under his command but still made good decisions. Jamison however was a bit of a weirdo he kept moaning about nightmares of something like the Flood attacking earth. He was an nice guy none the less.  
"sir I see Jamison! He's down! just over the hill to you're left looks like he's a goner sir...sorry" he said with a hint or pain in his voice  
"shit...all right everyone prep for evac. David. (that's me) Get on the radio and call for a pelican.Let's get the hell out of here."

The ride back was quite as you'd expect, and I couldn't help but think which of us would be next. It could be me, Srg Joyce, Todd , Shannly anyone else in the squad could be next. I hate this war but I'm doing the right thing by fighting...aren't I ?

When we got back to the carrier the Srg Joyce gave us a couple day's rest as he got debriefed. Because my squad were hell jumpers (basically the para infantry...except without parachutes) we had never been given perminent quarters and weren't allowed the luxury of personal artifacts.minus photo's or watches or something small. None the less we were all happy to get a chance to have a shower and hot meal. It had been tough the past couple of weeks. I did my usual when I got a room for the night. I showered, Shaved and took a shit, Then put on fresh marine corp gear and wandered straight to the mess hall. This is were we first met the AI, Soremus. Soremus was a smart and fairly advanced AI and had also been around for years, his current assignment to stand by to take charge of the marines should something take out the general in our area but in the mean time he had to study halo for...well anything really, a way to turn the damn thing off, blow it up without spending a whole carrier, get weapons of it. Anything.

We had an interesting chat about command decisions, how he would - if necasary - vent a whole deck of the ship if it was overunn costing us maybe a hundred marines but saving possibly a thousand by killing the attackers. I couldn't help but agree with his emotionless logic. And made a note to carry my jump gear with me next time I get the chance.

The second day was another funeral procesion for the fifty seven marines who died that week, including Jamison himself. The whole hell jumper sqaud was there and the precesion was hosted, planned and carried out by Soremus himself. The whole sqaud was there and all of us were in gear, not incase of an attack but as a final tribute to Jamison. We watched silantly as the AI came to life in front of us on the holo pad and begun the speech.  
" My fellow Marines we are gathered today in the remembrance of those who have passed this week. Allthough in this world they were ranked in the next they are all equal, In this world they may have been angry, but in the next they are calm..."  
I looked around and saw tears building in most people eyes...Srg Joyce took it hard especially.  
" We know that there is nothing that that will bring back the dead, but they are never really dead unless we forget them. Never forgot those that died this week, don't forget what they died for..."  
Tears were welling up in my eyes now.  
"Earth!...Our home..._their home_"he pointed to the dozen cascats that had the bodies of the marines recovered.  
"It's what we fight for, It's why we die and live, I can only pray that these men and women... and those who could not be returned died for a cause they beilieved in, But since halo was discovered the stakes are higher now than ever, not only are we fighting for our own survival and those back home. But we are fighting for the survival of the entire galaxy. So remember now , remember these people who have died when next you face a brute...and MAKE THEM SORRY!"

There was a mix of cheering and crying as he finished that senetnce, Even I was amazed at the power of his words.  
"Now if anyone would like to say a few words please step forward now." No one did and I couldn't blame them.  
"very well...captain" he nodded to the captain on his right, who despite being in tears called out

"Marines! Ateeeenshin!" all of us in unicen stood to attention and saluted. Even Soremus himself was saluting. One by one the caskets were launched into space as music was played on an ancient instrument called the bagpipes. It was butifal but sad as we stood the music allowed for the rest of us to cry and stand to attention. At the end the captain dismissed us and soremus called out the usual

"if you need someone to talk to either myself or the shipbiard pshycologists are avilable anytime...thank you for coming." 

well there you have it the end of chapter one of my story the time between please read and review and point out any mistakes. Watch out for the next chapter soon


	2. Chapter 2: the news

Rated M for later chapters and frequent swearing throughout.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the halo universe.

Recently in The Time Between

"Shut up and keep firing !" yelled sergeant Joyce  
"There's to many of em sir" I replied as another wave of flood hit us

"Sir I can see Jamison! He's down!"

"if you need someone to talk to either myself or the shipboard psychologists are available anytime...thank you for coming."

* * *

I got a big smile from the MAA(master at arms) as I nailed another two targets down range.  
We were going through the usual process of getting a combat evaluation after a death in the squad. You know to make sure we weren't freaking out. As painful as it was to lose a friend a month in the Hell Jumpers and you're used to it. We all had our ways to get over I, I go boxing on the fitness deck, Jenny overkilled the hell out of the next covenant she fought, and Sgt Joyce...well were not to sure about the Sgt no-one knows how he deals with it...  
"All right marine, Let's see 23 out 30 not great but a pass none the less. you know were to go next"  
"Yes sir" I said marching my way to the squad dynamics room.

Yeah right like I'm going to stick how we messed up in my diary. No but seriously I think we did OK and we did pass anyway.

Anyway we were getting processed as usual first was making sure we could shoot straight still -passed- then came squad dynamics workout (making sure we could still function as a squad) -passed- then came the new guy...i love this part... messing with the new guy was always fun

"Hey...uhhh ...is this Hell Jumpers squad 345?"  
we looked amongst ourselves to decide what to tell him. We finished squad dynamics an hour ago and were still in the room ready for a rerun with the new guy.  
"Why you asking _tiny_?" replied Sgt Joyce with a very good tough guy voice.  
"N...n...no... reason" and with that he left. This was our own sort of initiation, we acted hard and said harsh things till the prove there worth. It was about an hour till the Hell Jumpers captain himself came buy and pulled Sgt Joyce aside, nothing out of the usual. We used to think that the Sgt was getting in shit for it but he told was the usual conversation went like.  
"Sgt cold I have a word" said the Captain  
"Yes sir right away" replied Joyce as he was led aside and out of earshot but not site.  
"You know how it goes" said Shannly acting the part of the captain  
"I'm afraid so skipper" I replied taking the place of the Sgt  
"Can you're squad see us from here?" he said hands on hips and putting a tough voice on  
"There not blind _Skippy_" the squad giggled at this. We accidentally found out the captains name one day and decided to not let him live it down without letting him know we knew.  
"All right did the Marine I send not check out?" Asked Shannly  
"No sir with all dew respect he was a fucking weakling" I replied staying formal  
"all right then I'll send someone new tomorrow you got the rest of the day off" he replied ticking some boxes on an invisible clipboard  
"Thanks _Skippy_" I replied  
"You know one of these day's I might get in trouble for loving you Christopher" stated Shannly while pointing at me aggressively and putting a gay man voice on. The squad loved and fell about laughing there heads off. _Skippy_turned to see what was funny but wandered off instead as Sgt Joyce came back. He gave me a look that said something was wrong.  
"All right settle down marines" he said "I'm afraid there been a change of plan..."  
"what more time of great" said Todd cuddling Shannly  
"No...actually...it's a little bigger than that" he said avoiding eye contact with us all  
"What do you mean sir?" I asked  
"Everyone I'm sorry to tell you that Hell Jumpers 345 is...is being disbanded..."  
There was a shocked silence throughout the squad. I can't speak for us all but we knew what this meant...we knew that this is possibly the last time we'll ever be in the same unit. But the bigger question was would we even be in the same ship.  
"...so were are going to be placed sir?" asked Mark  
"I don't know yet...it there's going to be a meeting between me and some brass to decide where you'll go" he said solemnly  
"In the meantime we are still as squad and will be treated as such...the hearing is tomorrow though...I'm sorry marines"With this he turned away from us and walked.

"It's just not fair is what I' saying" said Jenny  
"I know that but there's nothing we can do about it. is there?" I replied  
We were arguing about the fairness of us being split up. It could be our last time together so we were all pretty depressed. We sat waiting outside the Conference room waiting to find out how our life would change. We knew that the Sgt would be arguing the hell out of them to get the best he could for us, but it was still depressing. It was another hour before the Sgt came out and sat down.  
"Sir? Are you OK sir?" asked Todd  
"I'll be fine" he said massaging his temples "don't worry about me...ma'am" he addressed Todd  
"Ma'am?"she asked  
"Yes ma'am I argued you and Mr Shannly into a high rank position together as training officers...as commanders"  
"Thank you si...Sgt"she replied "Yeah thanks Sgt" added shannly  
"The only drawback is that you have to report for duty immediately"  
They had tears in there eyes as she and Shannly hugged him  
"we'll never forget everything you've done for us Sgt" she said turning to leave  
"Thank you ...Christopher" finished Shannly  
"Attention marines!"  
we all stood to salute as they left. It brought Todd to tears and she stumbled away crying...shannly however saluted... with a tear in his eye. He eventually left to

and so the Sgt continued to give us our new placements and ranks one by one until I alone stood waiting.  
"I'm sorry David I argued as best I could but... the best could get you was a place with the regular marines...off ship" he said apologetically

* * *

well there's chapter two hope you'er enjoying it so far. 


End file.
